A senior Democrat suggested Saturday that Donald Trump may be too “mentally incapacitated” to understand the harm of his policy on Iran, following coordinated airstrikes by the U.S. and Israel.
“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East?” Senator Tim Kaine said in a statement.
“Is he too mentally incapacitated to realize that we had a diplomatic agreement with Iran that was keeping its nuclear program in check, until he ripped it up during his first term?”
Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, was referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a landmark agreement with Iran which was backed by multiple other world powers and signed under former president Barack Obama in 2015.
The plan saw Iran agree to limit its capability to stockpile and enrich uranium, and to allow inspections of its nuclear sites, in exchange for significant relief on sanctions.
It was backed by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the U.S., China, Britain, France and Russia – and by the European Union. However, critics pointed out that some of the clauses in the agreement would sunset after 10 or 15 years and said the deal did nothing to curb Iran’s missile program.
Trump called the JCPOA “horrible” and unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in May 2018.
Kaine added: “For months, I have raised hell about the fact that the American people want lower prices, not more war—especially wars that aren’t authorized by Congress, as required by the Constitution, and don’t have a clear objective.
“These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives… Every single Senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action.”
Trump confirmed the U.S. involvement of strikes on Iran in an eight-minute video on Truth Social early Saturday, stating that “major combat operations” had begun. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” the president said.
He said Tehran’s “menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world” and reiterated that the regime must never produce nuclear weapons.
“For 47 years,” Trump added, “the Iranian regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed… It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to take it any longer.”
Trump also acknowledged that “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost” and that “we may have casualties.” “That often happens in war,” he said.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a similar statement, confirming Tel Aviv’s involvement in the operations.
Some U.S. lawmakers echoed Kaine’s concerns, with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie writing: “I am opposed to this War. This is not “America First.” When Congress reconvenes, I will work with @RepRoKhanna to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran.”
“The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”
However others backed the president, with Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of the president and seen as a longstanding foreign policy hawk, writing that Trump’s speech would “go down in history as the catalyst for the most historic change in the Middle East in a thousand years.”
“I am confident this operation will be successful and the liberation of the long suffering people of Iran is at hand,” Graham wrote. “From their liberation the path toward peace and prosperity for the region and throughout the world will be long and wide.”
